Michael L. Voight

P.T., D.H.Sc., S.C.S., O.C.S., A.T.C.

Dr. Michael Voight received his undergraduate training at the University of Oregon and Portland State University in the Pacific Northwest.   From there, he traveled to the University of Virginia and received his master's degree in education with an emphasis in athletic training.    Physical therapy school followed at Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia.   In 1987, Dr. Voight became one of the nation's first board certified clinical specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, and in 1994 he received his board certification of advanced clinical competence in orthopedic physical therapy.    This makes him one of only a few clinicians nationwide possessing the same advanced competency credentials.   In 1995, Dr. Voight received one of the nation's first doctoral degrees in physical therapy when he was awarded a Doctorate of Health Science from the University of St. Augustine.   Dr. Voight is also recognized as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Upon graduation from physical therapy school, Dr. Voight worked with the Philadelphia Eagle's Football Club.   The following year, he moved to South Florida and became the Director of a sportsmedicine center.   Not long after that, he was asked to become a faculty member at the University of Miami's School of Medicine in the Division of Physical Therapy.   During his tenure at the University of Miami, Dr. Voight taught orthopedic evaluation techniques and manual therapy and was also responsible for the advanced master's track in sports physical therapy. While in Miami, Mike became the team physical therapist for both the Miami Dolphin Football and the Miami Heat Basketball Teams.   In addition, Dr. Voight became very active within the United States Olympic Committee's Sportsmedicine Division. He has worked at the Olympic Training Center, Olympic Festivals, Pan Am Games, and has had the opportunity to travel to almost all of the different continents with various Olympic and national teams. In 1996, Dr. Voight served as a staff physical therapist and athletic trainer at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.   In 1998, Dr. Voight's made the transition from clinical practice to full-time academia.   He currently holds the position of a full-time tenured professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.   Outside of the classroom, he still maintains a clinical practice specializing in orthopedic and sports related injuries.  

In addition to academic and clinical practice, Dr. Voight has also been extremely active within the field of Sports Physical Therapy. Throughout his career, Dr. Voight has been appointed to a variety of committees and has served four elected terms on the Executive Board of the Sports Physical Therapy Section of APTA.   In his last elected position, he served as President of the SPTS.   In 1997, he was presented the SPTS distinguished service award.    In 2008 he was presented the President's award for his career of service to the SPTS and was also presented the prestigious Ron Peyton award.   In 2010, Dr. Voight was elected into the SPTS Hall of Fame for a lifetime of excellence in sports physical therapy.   Internationally, Dr. Voight was elected to the Executive Board of the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy in 2000 and in 2004 was re-elected to the IFSP Executive Board for a second term.

Dr. Voight has lectured extensively at various conferences, symposiums, and congresses both nationally and internationally on a variety of orthopedic and sportsmedicine topics. Dr. Voight actively resides on the editorial boards of several different journals and is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.   He has authored over 60 papers, textbook chapters on various sportsmedicine topics, and has written three textbooks on functional exercise. In 1996, 2000, and 2009 he received the Distinguished Educator Award from the Sports Physical Therapy Section making him the only person to have received this award multiple times.   Dr. Voight was honored again in 2010, when he was presented the inaugural SPTS 'Lifetime Excellence in Education' award.